JESUS said, "Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child, he shall not enter therein," and the futility of earthly wisdom as a preparation for the enjoyment of heaven, now or hereafter, is thus unmistakably set forth. A thorough knowledge of the world and the ways of its people, gained from long and perhaps painful experience, the study of physical phenomena in its many different phases, and research as to the material origin of these phenomena,—all these are inadequate to teach us what God's kingdom is and how we may attain it. It can readily be discerned that the continued assumption that material knowledge is the truth will be detrimental instead of helpful in our efforts to apprehend the kingdom of Spirit, unless indeed the lack of results, the entire absence of harmony, has opened our eyes to the uselessness of trying to fathom God in that way. The pride of intellectuality makes it more difficult for us to become as little children; which we must do, or we "shall not enter therein." Not that we shall forget or lay aside all we have so assiduously sought, but we shall realize that it has no actual bearing on the truth; that in itself it has no power to command one iota of heaven. This realization makes a servant of it, and as such it is a very useful and perhaps necessary adjunct at the present time in dealing with the so-called highest in human thought.
The forgiving child-thought will overcome malice when used against us consciously or unconsciously, and we must lay hold of this pure thought, and adhere to the fearlessness that only innocence can give, before we may enter the gates of heaven, harmony. Then must come childlike meekness in the acknowledgment that it is God's kingdom, not ours, in which "not my will, but thine," is to be done! Little children are willing to give up their kingdom for something better; they value but lightly their desires, their toys, their plans, or their pride, if they are made happier without them. We, also, shall be willing to honor but the great King, our only pride being in the thought that we are His children, our only desire to serve Him who supplies us with all that is good, and who guides and guards us infinitely better than we are capable of guiding or guarding ourselves or others. When we know God's plan, our mortal plans will appear very insignificant. This cannot be misconstrued to mean that we should give up the development and practice of our talents, of our highest aims and desires of achievement; on the contrary, from our present outlook, this is part of God's plan, if we give Him the glory and not ourselves.
When we have entered, through the child-thought, and understand that we are living in God's kingdom, we shall also realize that it belongs to Him, and that we must in every way be loyal subjects and abide by His laws if we wish to receive the freedom of the kingdom, which means everything that God has to give. Then we cease to be children in understanding, and see as men that everything belongs to God, hence the folly of selfishness. We shall see that working for our own aggrandizement regardless of the Golden Rule, the devotion of all our energies and thought to the acquisition of wealth, position, prestige, or temporal knowledge, for the purpose of becoming little kings in kingdoms of our own, is not loyalty to Him. We shall then understand that, as the poet tells us, "ceasing to give, we cease to have;" that self-interest narrows us so that Love is lost to sight, and fear is all that is left,—a parody on God's man.
